Year: 2020
Runtime: 86 min
Language: English
Director: Matthew Michael Carnahan
Amidst the ruins of Mosul, a rookie police officer, Kawa, is rescued by the elite Nineveh SWAT team and joins their ranks. Led by the courageous Major Jasem, this unit of ten experienced fighters embarks on a perilous mission to liberate their city. Facing relentless danger, they wage a daring guerrilla campaign against a formidable enemy, determined to reclaim Mosul from the grip of chaos and restore order to the war-torn landscape.
Warning: spoilers below!
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Read the complete plot breakdown of Mosul (2020), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
During the Battle of Mosul, a gripping confrontation unfolds as three Iraqi policemen engage ISIS drug smugglers. The situation escalates quickly when they find themselves outnumbered and out of ammunition while barricaded inside a café. One of these officers, Kawa, portrayed by Adam Bessa, a 21-year-old Feyli Kurd who recently joined the police force, suffers a tragic loss when his uncle is killed in the ensuing chaos. Just in the nick of time, the Nineveh SWAT Team, led by Commander Major Jasem, swings into action to rescue the beleaguered officers and swiftly deal with the drug smugglers.
Recognizing Kawa’s grief and tragedy, the SWAT Team invites him to join their ranks, seeing as he has lost a family member to ISIS. Kawa accepts this call to action while his companion, Jameel, offers to carry his uncle’s body for a proper burial. As the SWAT team continues their perilous mission, Kawa is met with silence every time he questions the objective of their operation.
The tension mounts when Kawa and Jasem witness Jameel signaling an ISIS car bomber, resulting in the untimely death of a SWAT member named Tomahawk. In the aftermath, Jasem hands Kawa Tomahawk’s axe, symbolizing the heavy burden of the fight ahead. Amid the chaos, Hooka, another team member, begins to suspect Kawa of treachery, further isolating him in a time when trust is paramount.
As the team penetrates deeper into ISIS territory, they come under fire. The losses continue when Hooka is killed. Following this, a drone attack targets the team, but their fortunes shift when Colonel Isfahani of the Iranian Special Forces intervenes and provides them with essential ammunition. During this tense exchange, Kawa learns that Jameel has been captured by ISIS and is being coerced into betraying the SWAT team.
Faced with a decision that could endanger their mission, Kawa acts decisively and kills Jameel, alleviating immediate tensions. Later, in a surprising turn, Waleed decides to trade a personal item for an RPG to assault an ISIS stronghold. As they navigate further peril along the way, Commander Jasem reluctantly begins to reveal more about their mission, but Kawa, worn down by the circumstances, chooses not to pry deeper.
A mix of skill and misfortune marks their encounters: friendly fire claims the life of Youness, while Kawa is left disfigured from a grenade explosion. The SWAT team presses on through harrowing challenges, including close-quarter combat that takes Razak’s life and leaves Sinan wounded.
The gang’s mission culminates in an attack on an ISIS camp, where the loss of Commander Jasem weighs heavily on their spirits, yet Kawa rallies the remaining members, reminding them of their ultimate goal. As they infiltrate an apartment complex, Waleed uses a hidden spare key to confront an ISIS member holding his wife, Hayat, and her daughter, Dunya, hostage.
In the climactic moments, Kawa finally grasps the true essence of the SWAT mission: a desperate drive to rescue family members captured by ISIS. This revelation propels him into action as he inquires about the whereabouts of another captive, showcasing the profound stakes at play.
Last Updated: November 16, 2024 at 15:41
Still wondering what the ending of Mosul (2020) really means? Here’s a spoiler-heavy breakdown of the final scene, major twists, and the deeper themes that shape the film’s conclusion.
In the final moments of “Mosul,” the true nature of the conflict becomes clear. Major Jasem and his squad, composed of former police officers, fought not just to combat the militants but to protect their families and rebuild their city from devastation. Jasem’s hope and moral conviction are exemplified in his compassionate action of helping orphaned boys and his refusal to seek help from outside powers like the Americans, whom he views as destructive forces that only leave chaos behind. The revelation that many of the militants were once former police officers—arrested and then betrayed by those they fought against—adds a layer of tragedy and complexity to their mission. Jasem’s transformation from aiming to arrest criminals to killing them was driven by the need to save their families from execution and destruction, marking an unavoidable shift in the brutal realities of war. Ultimately, the film ends on a somber yet hopeful note, emphasizing that true victory lies in reclaiming humanity and hope amidst chaos. Jasem’s unwavering belief that rebuilding and healing can begin only after wiping out the terror highlights the sacrifices made by those who fight not for revenge, but for peace, love, and dignity in a broken land.}
Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:44
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